Shutter



Sept. 14, 1948.

SHUTTER Filed June 2, 1945 W. A. PEENNOW ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheei l WITNESSES:

gay" I INVENTORS M703 5. Pennaw and E/roy M Yunyman.

Patented Sept. 14, 1948 :land; .Qhio ass-ignors to twestinghousefiElectric Corporation, wEasttPittsbuizgh, Ba.,-a=zco 17pora- .tionroftl'flennsylvania Apiilicaitionllune 2, 1945;Seriail-NJ 597Z230 (Cl. Mil-e453) .5-aC1aims. l tOur invention relates, it generally, :to shutter mechanismszand, imore-particularly, tosarrsign'alling shutter mechanism; OIfifiSSEIflbllY fQI'fillSt-l' with searchlightswand, ':particu1arly,;;arc searehlights.

v2 several blades are divided into upper andZ,-lower groups iabolzei and ztb'elow othe :hoiizontal taxisaof the rshutter assembly and 'the blades-inf zeach roupiconnectedrategethei' "byral linkage, fiche: linkiHeretofore: signallin :shutters won '1 relatively Y5 agex associatedswith-roneirgnoup beingron' the-soplargei searchlights :have rbeen of the :radial vane positei side 1 of :the rshutter? blades from -=the tl'ink typetregandless inf the: factzithat a shutter of I. the ageeassoeiatedrwith the. other group. Venetian blind type.ris :tmore tdesirable. fromican These 'andeother=; bjectsoof :our;invention-=,=. will"v operatingrzstandpoint. Attempts to :useshutters become :more apparent {from :the ifzollowing rdeofthe VeI-IetianJoli-m1?type.nonlargesearehliglots tailed -idescription sofmone rembodiment thereof havefnot beemsuccessfulior the-reason'thatfit when "readxin conjunction ,With :theadrawings, is odifiicult -toaba-lance the r-shutter load toelimiwherein: r nate oexcessive -=toi:que -;on*the driving a "parts of JEig-ure 1 isza fnont view i-nselevatiomof awsearchtheimechanism. Whilewshutters-of the radial li'ghliaembddyin'g the shutter-assembly ofr oura-invan ty-pa may :be used on-isearchlightsrof anyt size and :character; i-they are 1 not desinable for the reason. that Tthe neflectedrlight -.fromthe blades or vanes duringitheropeningancltclosing operation is completely :out of r control, tbeing scattened ain 'all 'dineetions. advantage where maximum concealment is desired :as istthe-oase in: signalling searchlightsused om naval lvessels :andtthe. like where it is: highly important that "all stra and wmisdirected light be eliminated-onreduced to-a low minim-um. 'J'I'he Venetiam blindttype of shutteriaparticularlydesirable and efiective for applications of this-kind. wAccorl-inglyp it is Z-aTl O-bjGGt-TGf our invention, genera1ly:=stated, to provideratsignallingashutter fortsearelalights whiche shall: beef-simple, and economical. construction, and whichwmay be readily used with searohll'ghtsof all sizes, rparti-cularlythoseutilizingiacarbonrarc.

1 A--more specific-\ object-of our invention '1 is 1 to provide: a; shutter of the wvenetian blind type tor searchlights' which maybe aappliedtrto frelatively' large .searchlights. and which provides a-\-central openingtto receive the positive-electrode of wearbonvarc searchlight.

{Another objectrof "our invention is .to provide a shutter of the character described wherein the blades thereof are actuated in groups by a common actuator.

A further object'of our invention is toprovide a shutter of the character described wherein the-blade load on the' operating mechanism-isso balanced "as to elin'iinate excessive" torque "on'the drivingparts.

A still furtherobject of our invention is to provide a shutterofathe: charactendescribed: wherein the :bla'des' are actuated :in *groups by: linkages associated withcaeaehrgroup and the several linkages-driven unisoniby means' ofratgear'train.

A-nother object left our: invention list-to; provide :a

shutter rof ithe. character udescribed twhereinl the :This is zanseniouswdisa ru ed ventiomwith. thewlens-ror front :coverpglasst broken aw ayi to show therein-utter assembly,

2L-is la sidelelevational ':vievnpartially in section of the shutter assembly, and

#Figfiiis awfront: viewlin elevation of thessh-utter assembly.

Referring :nowto :thedrawings, Figure 1L1 is a front -view tin ielevation tof e2, ssearohlight 5 embody-mg the shutter .-assemb ly =of Lour invention, theshutten assemblyebeingtldesianated generally by the numeralefi. tin .th. s vievv :t-hez frontrlens-T Referring-mow to, Figs. -2 and 3 of a the drawt.

ings there is showmanpreferred embodiment: of ounshuttenassemblyfi. xThislassemblyeomprises,

generally, a ring element l2 and a pluralitysof shutteribladesntiltthrough |9,mounted -i-n ,parallel relationtrin aacommon t plane .therein, as shown i gt. ement [2:15comprisedoflacircular portion 2 tshaving zamair "of. horizontally disposed spaced brace; portionstE rand-23,an :uppenverth cal .braceyporti-on -24, anda lower Yeshapedbrace portion .25. throughszli arewjoinedttota hub-.porti-ontzfi, as

shown. JIEherhub portion, 26 .is,,provided. withna with a carbon arc Searchlight in which the pose itive carbon must extend forwardly of the arc mechanism. The bore 21 is closed by a cap member 28 secured to the hub portion 26, as shown in Fig. 2. The opening thus formed is insulated by means of an insulating sleeve 29 and an insulating button 3!.

In this embodiment of the invention, the shutter blades are divided into upper and'lower groups, and the groups of blades are actuated in unison.

In this instance, the upper group of blades come prises blades l3 through l5, and the lower group comprises blades l1, I8, and I 9. The blades 13,

' x In'order to provide for driving both groups of I4, and I5 are single blades, and the remaining blades are double blades. In other words, the

single blades are pivotally mounted so as totilt or rotate about their lower edges, while the double blades are pivotally mounted to rotate about an axis cent-rally or intermediate of their side edges. It is to be understood, however, that both groups of blades may be single, double, or combinations of both.

As shown in Fig. 3, therim portion 32 of the ring element [2 is provided with a plurality of internal bosses 33 for the purpose of mounting the blades. Each blade, except the two adjacent middle blades 16 and I1, is provided with a pair of :pivot blocks 34 which have end opening-s engaging outwardly extending pin portions rigidly inserted in the inside faces of the bosses 33. This is shown clearly in the upper portion of Fig. 3. The two middle adjacent blades l6 and I! are mounted for rotation upon drive shafts 35 and 3-6, respectively, which'are journalled in the rim portion 32 of the ring, as shown in Fig. 2. The drive shaft 35 is common to all of the blades of the upper group and is utilized to drive this group of blades. The same is true with respect to the lower drive shaft 36.

In order to provide for operating all of the blades in each group in unison, the several blades of each group are connected together by means of linkages. The linkage for the upper group of blades is indicated generally by the numeral 31 and is disposed in front of the blades directly behind the vertical brace member 24. The linkage for the lower group of blades is designated generally by the numeral 38 and is disposed'behind the V-shaped lower brace member and behind the shutter blades when viewed from the front of the shutter assembly.

Each one of the blades of each group is pro vided with an actuating arm, there being four actuating arms 4|! with the upper group of blades and three arms 41 with the lower group. The actuating arms 45 are connected together by the linkage 31 and the arms 4! by linkage 38, as shown best in Fig. 2, so that when either linkage is actuated, its associated group of blades is operated in unison between open and closed positions,

Each of the linkage mechanisms is comprised of a pair of links 42 held in spaced relation by means of spacers 43.

It will be apparent that by means of this arrangement of grouping and the use of linkages, a dead-center area is provided to accommodate the positive carbon electrode when the shutter is used on carbon arc searchlights. This results from the fact that the two middle adjacent blades I5 and, I! come together at their meeting edge-s along the horizontal axis of the shutter assembly and, of course, the searzchlight. Therefore, when these blades are rotated in response to the rotation of the drive shafts and 36, they move apart in such manner as to provide a large central opening. 7

With reference to Fig. 2, it will be apparent that the blades of the upper group are opened by the upward movement of the linkage 37 which causes the blades to tilt backwardly in the direction indicated by arrow A. In other words, these blades all pivot or rotate in a counterclockwise direction. :With respect to the lower group of blades, they are so mounted as to be openedby the downward movement of the linkage 38 which also causes these blades to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. The bottom .portion of these blades move in the direction indicated by the arrow B.

blades in unison so that all of the blades will open and closein unis-on, the drive shafts 35 and 36 are driven by means of a gear train, indicated generally by the numeral 45. This gear train comprises I single direction.

'ends of the drive shafts 35 and 36, respectively,

on the outside of the rim portion 32 of the shutter ring. These gears are driven in unison by means of a common main drive gear 5! connected thereto by means of idler gears 52 and 53. T

It will be readily understood thatwhen the main drive gear 5| is driven by a suitable operating mechanism, such, for example, as that disclosed in the oopending application of Willis A. Pennow, Serial No. 594,633, filed May 19, 1945; and assigned to the assignee of this application, the drive shafts 35 and 35 will be actuated or rotated in unison to open and close the blades of the upper and lower groups. The use of the mul--' tiple drive shafts 35 and 36 makes it possible to reduce-the torque on each to safe limits. This makes it possible to utilize a shutter of this type on large searchlights as well as small, and at the same tim'e-providethe necessary dead-center area for certain carbon arc searchlights.

This construction also makes it possible to cause all of the shutter, blades to open andclose in a single plane which restricts reflected light to a This construction also permits locating of the structural members of the shutter assembly in alignment with various operating members so as to reduce to a minimum the area of shadow in a searchlight beam when the shutter is opened.

In view of the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be apparent that it makes possible the use of a lattice or Venetian blind shutter assembly on large searchlights, eliminates multidirection scattering of light by reflection during operation of the shutter assembly, and provides a dead-center area and a central opening foraccommodating carbon electrodes It also provides for reducing the area, of shadow in the search-light beam when the shutter is opened.

While a preferred embodiment of our invention has been shown and described in detail: it

is to be understood that changes and modifica-,

tions may be made therein without departing from the principles of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A signalling shutter assembly for searchlights comprising, a frame member, a plurality of blades pivotally mounted in parallel relation in a common-plane in the frame member and c0nstituting two groups of blades on opposite sides of the horizontal axis of the frame member, drive shaft individual to each group of blades, said drive shafts supporting adjacent'blades on opposite sides of said horizontal axis, a linkage connecting each drive shaft to the other blades of its associated group, and gear means for rotating said drive shafts in unison.

2. A signalling shutter assembly for searchlights comprising, a frame member, a plurality of straight blades pivotally mounted in parallel relation in the frame member, a pair of shaft members rotatably mounted in the frame on opposite sides of its horizontal axis supporting adjacent blades, a linkage connecting each of said shaft members with the other blades above and below the said two adjacent blades, and a gear train connecting said shaft members, said gear train including a drive gear common to both shaft members.

3. A signalling shutter assembly for searchlights comprising, a frame member, a plurality of straight blades pivotally mounted in parallel relation in the frame member, a pair of shaft members rotatably mounted in the frame on opposite sides of its horizontal axis supporting adjacent blades, a linkage connecting each of said shaft members with the other blades above and below the said two adjacent blades, all of the blades on one side of said adjacent blades being pivotally mounted at their side edges and all of the blades therebelow being pivotally mounted intermediate their side edges, a gear mounted on each shaft member, a main drive gear mounted between said gears and in alignment therewith, and idler gears mounted between the main drive gear and each of said gears, thereby to provide for rotating said shaft members in unison from the main drive gear.

4. A signalling shutter assembly for searchlights comprising, a frame member, a plurality of shutter blades pivotally mounted in a common plane in parallel relation in the frame member, said blades being divided into two groups, one group on either side of a predetermined axis of the frame member, a linkage connecting the blades of one group, a linkage connecting the blades of the other group, said linkages being disposed on opposite sides of said blades, a drive shaft individual to each group of blades, said drive shafts being rotatably mounted in spaced parallel relation on opposite sides of said axis and connected with said linkages, and a gear assembly mounted at adjacent ends of said shafts operable to rotate said shafts in unison.

5. A signalling shutter assembly for searchlights comprising, a frame member, a plurality of straight shutter blades pivotally mounted in spaced parallel relation in the frame member and in parallel relation to a predetermined axis of said frame member, said blades being divided into two groups one group on each side of said axis, a pair of shaft members rotatably mounted in the frame member in spaced parallel relation on opposite sides of said axis, said shaft members supporting the adjacent blades of the two groups, means pivotally securing the opposite ends of the other blades of both groups to the frame member, a linkage mechanism connecting each of the shaft members to the other blades of its associated group, said linkage mechanisms being connected to their associated blades intermediate their ends and also being disposed on opposite sides of the blades, and a gear mechanism for actuating said shaft members mounted at the side of the frame member and operatively connected with adjacent ends of the shafts to provide for rotating said shaft members in unison.

WILLIS A. PE'NNOW. ELROY W. YUNGMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,326,393 DHumy Dec. 30, 1919 1,364,812 Rutter Jan. 4, 1921 1,633,509 Anderson June 21, 1927! FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 314,397 Germany Sept. 16, 1919' 673 Great Britain 1909 

